Discover a Portal to a Mind-Bending Universe in a Texas Shopping Mall: First Look at Meow Wolf Grapevine
Immersive experience, 'The Real Unreal,' opens in the Dallas area featuring work from nearly 40 Texas artists
The sensational Meow Wolf multiverse has expanded into Texas with the debut of The Real Unreal, opening on July 14 in the Grapevine Mills Mall in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. A unique location to travel through wild, fantastical, surrealist worlds, this Meow Wolf Grapevine exhibit is also housed within the same property as attractions such as LEGOLAND Discovery Center and SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium, as well as being in the mix of such classic shopping mall favorites as the quintessential Hot Topic and Auntie Anne’s Pretzels. Embracing nostalgic mall culture and accessibility to all, this Meow Wolf experience invites everyone to simply “come as you are”.
This location is already set up to be a prime destination for anyone and everyone to experience this unique art form in a fun and adventurous way, embarking on a personal journey through Meow Wolf’s colorful, curious, and otherworldly landscapes outside the traditional confines of a museum or art gallery.
Exterior of Meow Wolf Grapevine
Colorful murals adorn Meow Wolf Grapevine
The first Meow Wolf in Texas is a collaboration of 38 Texas artists working alongside countless Santa Fe-based artists. You will find works from local visionaries as Dan Lam, Sergio Garcia and Yana Payusova, among many other locally based artists of all mediums. This massive collaboration is now the home to over 70 installations, rooms, portals, and wormholes with endless opportunity for hands-on interactivity.
Not a traditional art show; not a silly selfie situation
For those who have not yet had the opportunity to visit one of the other three Meow Wolf exhibits, you are in for a wild treat. The company’s first exhibition began in 2016 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with House of Eternal Return, which became an international sensation. Following that, Meow Wolf created Omega Mart in Las Vegas, Nevada as well as Convergence Station in Denver, Colorado, both in 2021. The Real Unreal is the fourth and newest exhibition, and a Houston location is in the works for 2024. Each Meow Wolf experience is much like a playground of wonder. It’s a place to tap into your inner childlike curiosities as you venture through a world of unknown, unlimited possibilities.
“We’re thrilled to reveal these first looks of our newest exhibition. It’s been in the works for four years and is an awe-inspiring self-guided experience for visitors to get lost in.” says Dale Sheehan, Senior Vice President and Executive Creative Director.
Get ready for a transformative and exploratory journey
Meow Wolf experiences start with something familiar, such as walking through a house or a grocery store while you begin your self-guided journey, but then you’ll delve into hidden portals of creative dreamscapes along your way. You’ll weave through rooms, treehouses, gardens, alleyways, neon jungles, and places you could have never imagined exploring.
In The Real Unreal, you will engage in a new Meow Wolf storyline crafted by sci-fi and fantasy author, LaShawn Wanak. You begin in the home of a mother who is “down on her luck” and lives with her chosen family. The narrative unfolds to share the story’s protagonist, her son named Jared Fuqua. Jared has gone adventuring through different imaginative portals, while his mother searches for her lost son.
As a visitor to The Real Unreal, you will begin your journey in the front yard of this house, allowing you to “pick your own adventure” through the garden, the tool shed, or straight into the home’s main door to venture through the house that leads to seemingly endless worlds of fantasy.
Colorful dome installation at Meow Wolf Grapevine
A room by Texas artist Yana Payusova in Meow Wolf Grapevine
Dan Lam’s “Macrodose” at Meow Wolf Grapevine’s
Creative alleyway in Meow Wolf Grapevine
Mother and child experiencing light and sound installation at Meow Wolf Grapevine
Color abounds at Meow Wolf Grapevine
Indoor forest at Meow Wolf Grapevine
Arcade in Meow Wolf Grapevine
Meow Wolf Grapevine’s familiarity with Santa Fe
Those who are already fans of Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe will surely notice the familiarity of the spaces in this new Grapevine installation. These cross-exhibition connections and intended to “bring a new dimension to the Meow Wolf story universe.”
The more you explore, the bigger your reward
Our advice when touring The Real Unreal: Get in there! Dive all the way into every nook and cranny. Open doors and cabinets. Tunnel through small spaces that seem like they would only be fit for children. Squeeze your legs into the barrel of the washing machine, and by all means dance your way through the refrigerator! Look for scribbled numbers on walls that you can text on your phone and get rewarded by fun messages. Seek hidden numerical clues to unlock the ATM or vending machines. Take note of endless clues to Jared’s journey. Enjoy your time going through all the details you wish to explore. Push buttons, look up at the ceilings, look down at the floors, peep through the windows. Embrace those feelings of wonder and awe. Get lost. In a good way.
Getting to Meow Wolf: day trips, tickets and more details
The Real Unreal also includes a live event venue, a retail store, and a cafe. The drive to Grapevine from Austin is approximately three hours. While a day trip is feasible, for a little Texas travel opportunity, you may wish to consider an overnight stay at one of Grapevine’s many popular accommodations such as the Gaylord Texan Resort. Also, allow at least two hours to really enjoy all that Meow Wolf has to offer. Tickets are $50 and sold with specific timed entries.